Black Buffalo 3D Corporation—a leading provider of large-scale 3D construction printers—and MAPEI Corporation—a leading construction materials provider for the building industry—have announced a strategic research, development, and manufacturing partnership for the 3D construction printing industry. Their first collaboration—Planitop 3D—is made to work with NEXCON 3D Construction printers for better performance at a fraction of the cost of existing building materials. The combination of equipment and materials will be utilized in the recently announced 200 home community being printed by Alquist 3D in Pulaski, VA.
“The Black Buffalo 3D team recognized the need for standardization in materials to drive the next phase of growth in the 3D construction industry,” remarked Michael Woods, CEO/COO of Big Sun Holdings, Black Buffalo 3D’s parent corporation, “MAPEI was able to enhance the formula our team developed and take it to the next level, outclassing every product on the market – that makes 3D printing homes, buildings and infrastructure financially feasible on nearly every level.”
Planitop 3D is now available through MAPEI across North America. This cement-based construction ink/mortar was specially developed through years of research, testing, and evaluation by independent and in-house material scientists at Black Buffalo 3D Corporation, MAPEI, and various 3rd party labs including Intertek based in York, PA. Held to the strictest standards and created to increase efficiency on the jobsite and throughout its lifecycle, Planitop 3D is designed to quickly set-up and support every layer printed above it.
“MAPEI has always been known for innovation and for helping communities around the nation. The 3D-printed homes and other structures printed with Planitop 3D and Black Buffalo 3D’s NEXCON printers represent technology at its most compassionate creating a more affordable housing market,” remarked Luigi Di Geso, MAPEI Corporation’s President and CEO. “We are proud to be involved in this evolution in construction and housing.”
While this is the first public announcement, materials scientists from Black Buffalo 3D and MAPEI have been hard at work for over a year fine-tuning a cement-based construction ink for the 3D construction industry. Milestones already achieved include several 13+ hour print sessions on NEXCON printers by the Black Buffalo 3D team in Elizabeth, NJ, which have been verified by members of the ICC-ES approved lab Intertek. The verification process used stringent testing to the criteria of the ICC-ES AC-509 standard for 3D printed walls. The official results and reporting are expected to be released in the upcoming months.
About Black Buffalo 3D Corporation
Black Buffalo 3D Corporation is the NY based, US affiliate of HN Inc. co. Ltd.-formerly Hyundai BS&C Co. Ltd.–and subsidiary of Big Sun Holdings Group, Inc. Black Buffalo 3D is poised to revolutionize construction and become the leading global provider of smart 3D construction printers (3DCP), proprietary construction “ink” (Planitop 3D) and 3D print construction consulting services. Print smart and sustainable infrastructure on-demand with Black Buffalo 3D NEXCON printers available now. Stay tuned for updates on our clients’ projects and development of groundbreaking 3D construction ink materials.
MAPEI
Founded in 1937 in Milan, MAPEI is now one of the world’s leading manufacturers of chemical products for the building industry and has contributed to the construction of some of the most important architectural and infrastructural works worldwide. With 91 subsidiaries operating in 57 countries and 84 manufacturing plants in 35 different nations, the Group employs about 11,000 staff worldwide. The foundations for the success of the company are specialization, internationalization, research & development, and sustainability.
